Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game construction including a screen for shielding the activities of players from each other, a body disposed centrally of said screen and having opposite ends presented to respective players and provided with a plurality of through passageways each opening through respective opposite body ends, and a plurality of elongate playing pieces of different lengths and insertable into selected body passageways, said pieces being shorter than the passageways and of uniform diameter throughout their length, whereby they may be pushed completely through a passageway.

nited States Patent Joseph A. Weisbecker 1220 Wayne Avenue, Cherry Hill, NJ.

[72] Inventor 08034 [21] Appl. No. 40,632 [22] Filed May 26, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 28, 1971 [54] BOARD GAME APPARATUS 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 273/130D [51] Int. Cl A63f 3/00 [50] Field of Search 273/130, 131, 134, 136

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,550,943 12/1970 l-latcher 273/131 BA Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Robert K. Youtie ABSTRACT: A game construction including a screen for shielding the activities of players from each other, a body disposed centrally of said screen and having opposite ends presented to respective players and provided with a plurality of through passageways each opening through respective opposite body ends, and a plurality of elongate playing pieces of different lengths and insertable into selected body passageways, said pieces being shorter than the passageways and of uniform diameter throughout their length, whereby they may be pushed completely through a passageway.

BOARD GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of games, it is advantageous to provide relatively common structure for familiarity to great numbers of persons, as well as ease of manufacture, but without oversimplicity in play of the game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a game device which is extremely simple in construction utilizing a body having plural through passageways and playing pieces insertable into the passageways, so that the physical manipulations are relatively simple to attract large numbers of players.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game construction of the type described which achieves a high degree of fascination in requiring utilization of a player's memory facilities, intellectual skill, and possibly extrasensory perception.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a game device having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is extremely simple in construction for economic manufacture and sale at a reasonable price, being highly durable and reliable throughout a long useful like, and adapted to be produced in a neat and attractive design.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a top-perspective view illustrating a game device of the present invention apart from the playing pieces thereof.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating the interior construction of the game device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating certain playing pieces in playing position within the game device to illustrate play of the game.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating playing pieces of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, a game device is there generally designated 10, and includes an upstanding shield or screen means 11, say being adapted to rest on a table or other suitable supporting surface for interposition between a pair of players to conceal the activities of the players from each other.

The screen means or shield 11 may carry centrally thereof, a game body generally designated 12, which may be of generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, projecting through the screen 11 and having its opposite end surfaces 13 and 14 located on opposite sides of the screen. More specifically, the opposite end surfaces 13 and 14 of the body 12 may be of identical or congruent cross-sectional configuration, being generally parallel to each other, and facing away from each other toward respective players of the game. In the illustrated embodiment the end surfaces 13 and 14 of the body 12 are substantially square, but may assume other desired configurations.

Formed in the body 12 are a plurality of generally straight, through passageways 15, extending in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other and each opening at its opposite ends through respective body end surfaces 13 and 14 on opposite sides of the screen 11. More specifically, the passageways 15 may be arranged in rectangular arrangement, being 16 in number in the illustrated embodiment and located four on a side, as seen in FIG. 1. Also the passageways 15 may be of circular cross section, as illustrated, or other cross section if desired.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the passageways 15 are all of equal length, terminating at their opposite ends in the parallel surfaces I3 and 14. Further, the equal length passageways 15 are each of a whole number of units, as designated by the dimensional arrows to. In the illustrated embodiment, the passageways 15 are each of eight units in length.

In addition, the game device of the instant invention includes a plurality of playing pieces, as at 17, 18, 19 and 20 in FIG. 4. The playing pieces 17-20 are each of elongate, constant cross-sectional configuration, being of right cylindrical configuration in the illustrated embodiment. Further, the cylindrical playing pieces rods or pins 17-20 are each of a discrete or whole number of units 16 in length. As shown in FIG. 4, the playing piece 17 is two units in length, the playing piece 18 being three units in length, while the playing piece 19 is four units in length and the playing piece 20 is five units in length. In practice, it has been found satisfactory to provide 22 playing pieces 17, 14 playing pieces 18, eight playing pieces 19 and two playing pieces 20. The playing pieces are of circular cross section generally congruent to the circular cross section or bore of each passageway 15, for conformable sliding engagement of the playing pieces into any selected bore. Further, by this relative cross-sectional configuration of playing pieces 17-20 and passageways 115, the insertion of even a single playing piece substantially closes or extends completely across a receiving passageway so as to preclude visual access to the interior thereof.

It may be calculated that the number of rods and the specified length are such that the rods or playing pieces 17-20 can be arranged to completely fill all of the passageways or holes 15 with no rods projecting past the ends of the passageways. A lesser number of rods can be used for a shorter, easier game, if desired.

In play of the instant game, the playing pieces 17-20 are separated into piles according to length, and each player takes eight playing pieces 17, one player placing his eight short playing pieces into the eight holes to his left, and the other player placing his eight short playing pieces into the remaining eight holes to his left. All of the 16 holes now contain a single short playing piece 17. The remaining playing pieces in the four piles are now divided equally between the two players, each player taking an equal number of rods of each length.

The game is now ready to begin, and the players should be secretive about which rods or playing pieces and passageways they use during play of the game. The players take turns, and each in turn inserts any selected one of his playing pieces into any selected one of the holes facing him. The rods or playing pieces are always inserted all the way into a passageway until the end of the inserted playing piece is even with the receiving end of the passageway. This insertion of a playing piece will cause any rods or playing pieces already in the passageway to be pushed further along towards the other player's end of the passageway. Whenever this causes a playing piece to be partly or fully pushed out on the other players side, the projecting playing piece or pieces are removed and given back to the player who pushed them out.

The players continue taking turns, inserting playing pieces from their ends of the passageways and receiving back any they cause to project from the opponentss side, until one player has no rods or playing pieces left. The first player to get all his playing pieces in the body 12 with none projecting from either side wins the game. The game can be simplified by removing two each of the shorter playing pieces 17 and 18 before starting.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a game device which is extremely simple in construction,

easy and interesting to play, and which otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A game device comprising screen means for interposition between players to conceal their activities, a body associated with said screen means and having opposite ends on opposite sides of said screen means for location in facing relation with respective players, said body being provided with a plurality of through passageways all of the same number of units in length and each having its opposite ends opening through respective ends of said body, and a plurality of elongate playing pieces of different lengths and cross-sectionally configured for endwise engagement into a selected end of a selected passageway, said playing pieces being of such diametral configuration throughout their length that they may be pushed completely through a passageway said playing pieces each being of a whole number of units in length and shorter than each of said passageways.

2. A game device according to claim I, said passageways being generally straight and of constant cross-sectional configuration, and said playing pieces being generally straight and of a constant cross-sectional configuration substantially congruent to that of said passageways for substantially completely closing a receiving passageway.

3. A game device according to claim 1 the length of each passageway being an integral multiple of certain of said playing pieces.

4. A game device according to claim I, said body being carried by said screen generally centrally thereof. 

1. A game device comprising screen means for interposition between players to conceal their activities, a body associated with said screen means and having opposite ends on opposite sides of said screen means for location in facing relation with respective players, said body being provided with a plurality of through passageways all of the same number of units in length and each having its opposite ends opening through respective ends of said body, and a plurality of elongate playing pieces of different lengths and cross-sectionally configured for endwise engagement into a selected end of a selected passageway, said playing pieces being of such diametral configuration throughout their length that they may be pushed completely through a passageway, said playing pieces each being of a whole number of units in length and shorter than each of said passageways.
 2. A game device according to claim 1, said passageways being generally straight and of constant cross-sectional configuration, and said playing pieces being generally straight and of a constant cross-sectional configuration substantially congruent to that of said passageways for substantially completely closing a receiving passageway.
 3. A game device according to claim 1, the length of each passageway being an integral multiple of certain of said playing pieces.
 4. A game device according to claim 1, said body being carried by said screen generally centrally thereof. 